5. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

Whether you're a gangster or a gentleman, there's one thing that all people have in common: We were all once little kids, heading into adulthood with wide eyes, innocence, and wonderment. No filmmaker in cinema's history has understood that better than Steven Spielberg, and few movies have profoundly captured that feeling of pre-teen magic better than E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

The fact that we still cry like onion factory workers every time we revisit this family classic speaks volumes. Presenting the least intimidating alien ever seen on film, Spielberg hit a sentimental grand slam with the title character, a lovable space invader who befriends a young boy named Elliot (Henry Thomas) and becomes the best friend a kid could ever ask for, aside from a German Shepherd. The relationship between Elliot and E.T. is the glue that binds Spielberg's flick; it's impossible to watch E.T. and not wish that a cuddly little alien would land in your own backyard.